Ammunition round

ABSTRACT

A telescoped caseless cartridge of decreased length due to the projectile being contained within the caseless charge. The shorter round facilitates improved storage, reduction of packaging requirements and weapon size and weight, and easier extraction of unfired rounds from the weapon.

United States Patent Quinlan 1 Sept. 5, 1972 [54] AMMUNITION ROUND [72]Inventor: Joseph B. Quinlan, Philadelphia, Pa.

[73] Assignee: The United States of America as represented by theSecretary of the Army 22 Filed: Feb. 19,1970

[21] Appl.No.: 12,658

[52 [1.5.01 ..102/3s,102/40,102/DIG.1 51 l nt.Cl ..F42b 5/18 [58]FieldofSearch ..102/38, 40, 43,43 P, 1310.1

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,345,945 lO/1967 Quinlanet a1. 102/38 3,482,516 12/1969 Farmer et a]. ..102/38 FOREIGN PATENTSOR APPLICATIONS 7,193 1891 Great Britain 102/40 Primary Examiner-RobertF. Stahl Att0rney-Harry M. Saragovitz, Edward J; Kelly, Herbert Berl andS. Dubroff [57] ABSTRACT A telescoped caseless cartridge of decreasedlength due to the projectile being contained within the caseless charge.The shorter round facilitates improved storage, reduction of packagingrequirements and weapon size and weight, and easier extraction ofunfired rounds from the weapon.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED 5'97? 3.688.688

INVENT JOSEPH B. QUINL BYIW ATTORNEYS! v AMMUNITION ROUND The inventiondescribed herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for theGovernment for governmental purposes without the payment to me of anyroyalty thereon.

The invention relates to ammunition rounds and, more particularly, to acaseless cartridge.

It is an object of the invention to provide a caseless ammunitioncartridge having a minimum overall length.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a cartridge thatfacilitates improved storage and reduction of packaging requirements.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a cartridge whichfacilitates a reduction in weapon size and weight, as well as an easierextraction of unfired rounds from the weapon.

These and other objects, features and advantages will become moreapparent from the following description and accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a section view of an ammunition round embodying the principlesof the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. '1 but of a modified cartridge.

' The telescoped caseless ammunition cartridge, posi- I tioned or seatedin the gun or barrel chamber (FIG.

1), has an outer cylinder of molded propellent charge 11 made from asingle base (energy constituent nitrocellulose) propellant. Asubstantial portion of the molded charge inner surface length is linedwith a propellent support tube 12 made from a double base (energyconstituents nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine) propellant. The supporttube 12 provides laminar strength to the cartridge and serves as anindex for the primer cup 13 that is suitably recessed to contain anexplosive charge 14 and a rearmost priming charge 15. Charges l4 and 15are sealed respectively by an explosive seal 16 and a primer seal 17.The projectile 18 is located entirely within the support tube 12, theforward end of the latter being closed ofi by a forward propellent sealand guide 19 which is seated in the forward end of cylindrical charge 11against the support tube. The seal and guide 19 is made from single basepropellant and has tapered forward surface 20 that matingly seatsagainst a corresponding tapered surface 21 provided in the barrel or gunchamber 10.

In the FIG. 2 modification, wherein like reference numerals denotesimilar elements of the FIG. 1 construction, the propellant support tubehas been eliminated. The cylindrical molded propellant charge 24 has itsrearward end provided with an internal annular recess 25 to accomodateor receive the primer cup 13, and its forward outer surface is annularlytapered (at 26) for seating in or against a mating surface 27 providedin barrel chamber 28. The projectile 18 is surrounded by the moldedcharge 24 and has a thin propellant disc 30 (formed of single basepropellant) extending across and sealing the forward end of moldedcharge 24 forwardly of projectile 18.

Thus, in both constructions, the telescoped arrangement of theprojectile in relation to the molded charge minimizes the requiredlength of a given round of ammunition.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I c arm:

1. A telescoped caseless ammunition cartridge comprising,

a cylindrical molded propellent charge,

a projectile located within said molded charge, a forward propellantseal extending across said molded charge forwardly of said projectile, aprimer cup extending across said molded charge rearwardly of saidprojectile, and a propellant support tube lining a predetermined lengthof said molded charge between said forward propellant seal and primercup, sad support tube surrounding sad projectile.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein said molded charge and forward sealare made from a single base propellant, and said support tube is madefrom a double base propellant.

3. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein said molded charge and forward sealare made from a single base propellant, and said primer cup contains anexplosive charge and a priming charge, each of said priming cup chargeshaving a respective seal therefor, said explosive charge seal beingpositioned rearwardly adjacent a base portion of said projectile.

1. A telescoped caseless ammunition cartridge comprising, a cylindricalmolded propellent charge, a projectile located within said moldedcharge, a forward propellant seal extending across said molded chargeforwardly of said projectile, a primer cup extending across said moldedcharge rearwardly of said projectile, and a propellant support tubelining a predetermined length of said molded charge between said forwardpropellant seal and primer cup, sad support tube surrounding sadprojectile.
 2. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein said molded charge andforward seal are made from a single base propellant, and said supporttube is made from a double base propellant.
 3. The cartridge of claim 1wherein said molded charge and forward seal are made from a single basepropellant, and said primer cup contains an explosive charge and apriming charge, each of said priming cup charges having a respectiveseal therefor, said explosive charge seal being positioned rearwardlyadjacent a base portion of said projectile.